A touching tribute to Koyo Kouoh, the late curator of this year’s Venice Biennale, has sprung up in the lagoon city. A new collage of Kouoh by the US artist Derrick Adams, Heavy is the head that wears the crown, emblazons the façade of Palazzetto dello sport Giobatta Gianquinto, facing the Rio della Tana near the Arsenale. “This contemporary icon incorporates a frontal pose, flattened forms, and golden hues—all features that allude to Venice’s Byzantine cultural heritage,” says a statement.
Kouoh died on 10 May 2025 at the age of 57 after being diagnosed with cancer. The Venice homage was organised by the curator and Venice veteran Francesco Bonami who said: “She had a fresh, informed voice and eye. Trusting her vision, I invited her to join the jury for the 50th Venice Biennale [in 2003], Dreams and Conflicts: The Dictatorship of the Viewer.” Adams adds that the work commemorates Kouoh by bestowing her with a radiant crown of joy that emits “beams of gold signifying the brilliance and reach of her influence”.